title: Decadal status of a major 'industrial belt' on the local groundwaters: a case study in Visakhapatnam (India).
abstract: Industrialization plays a vital role in building up of a nation, but in this process, neglecting environmental issues has become a common and major issue almost for every country. Groundwater contamination is a major problem prevailed in most of the industrialized countries. Visakhapatnam city in India has been developing with rapid industrialization. Amongst the existing 14 major industries, a major industrial belt, abutting an industrial trio, namely Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL), Coromandal Fertilizers Limited (CFL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) had started production since 1970s in the heart of the city. The heavy dumps of these industrial wastes mixed with groundwaters doubled the TDS levels of the localities of the industrial belt for each decadal increase. In 1980s the TDS levels measured were in the range of 2000 to 4000 mg/L for the three industries. Presently, the TDS levels are varying from 3000 to 7500 mg/L. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken prior to the breaking of situation into worst levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geophysics, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam - 530 003, India. naiduys1231@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Y Somu
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Naidu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Subbarao
authors.forename: Nvbss
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: P Rajendra
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004602:Elements; D007194:India; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007221:Industry; D013997:Time Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004602:Elements; D007220:Industrial Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical